Page 13 - Edition Summer 22 News and Views revised 31.05.pub (Read-Only)

I’m gazing out the window

Of the St James Hotel
And I can tell you one thing

Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

The song begins with ‘this land’ and ends with a strange reference to ‘seed’. As Ricks shows,
this is meant to make us think of the biblical promises of ‘this land’ to Abraham and his
descendants (or ‘seed’ in the Authorised Version of the Bible, which Dylan prefers). As Ricks
points out, the song does not finish by saying that power, greed and corruptible seed are all that
there is, but rather that they seem to be all that there is, which leaves us with the hope of new
life: ‘Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God’ (1 Pet.
1:23, AV).

Theology must also take the primacy of first-hand experience seriously. This does not mean
that theologians should never write about what they have not experienced. It does mean,
though, that writing from a place of experience gives greater authenticity and integrity to any
theological work. Dylan can write about feelings of emptiness and lack of faith (such as the
great song ‘Not Dark Yet’) and also about moments of clarity and vision. Theological honesty of
this kind is something worth striving for.

Bob Dylan shortly before his 80th birthday, courtesy of the The Irish Times

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Some years back - decades really - when I was a member of Radnor
Meeting in Pennsylvania, Douglas Steere frequently ministered during

meeting. My memory has never been very strong but because Douglas

often repeated the following, I've been able to keep his words clear in

my mind.

‘The wind of God is always blowing, you only have to hoist your sail’.

Hazel Dawkins

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